Southlake class again, and he was just going to attend that to learn more about the city.” One position led to another, and soon Terrell was approached on the subject of running for mayor in 2008. “Since it felt as if I was given an entire education from the ground up, it seemed like a natural progression,” he says. “I decided I would love to serve the city in that capacity.”
Memorable City Projects and Programs As city councilman and mayor, Terrell has seen so many of the projects through that shaped and molded Southlake into what it is today. Certain projects, though, stick out as ones that made significant strides for the community and its residents. Of course, it should be mentioned that for years, city has held AAA bond ratings—the highest rating a city can achieve in financial management—and without them, many of these projects may not have had enough funding.
Groundbreaking for Miracle Field
A
he Terrell family packs T their bags and moves back to Texas—this time to Southlake.
Transportation and Parks During Terrell’s time in office, major strides in transportation and mobility were made. To say the roadways in and around Southlake have simply improved would be an understatement. But there are still some changes that will have to be made by the next mayor. “While much has been accomplished, there is still much to be done,” Terrell says. “I do regret that I will not be able to continue the efforts to further improve mobility in the city, but I am comforted by the fact that this will be left in the capable hands of others.” Not to be overlooked in the arena of mobility enhancement are the more than 11 miles of new sidewalks and trails created during the past six years. Terrell is very passionate about parks and recreation for residents. “Our parks system is one of the best in the state, and when complete, Bicentennial Park will represent one of the finest parks in the Southwest United States,” he says. “That is something for which we can all be proud.”
After seeing a notice in the local paper, John gets involved and eventually joins the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
1999
1997
1999
Texas native who grew up in Northeast Tarrant County, Mayor John Terrell moved back to the area in the late ’90s from San Francisco with his wife, Joanne, to raise their family. “We chose Southlake, and that’s because we had our first child,” Terrell says. “We knew we wanted a community city—not just a city. We wanted a great school district, and we wanted a little bit of land, so we selected Southlake.” And although community involvement was at the top of the family’s list, they never dreamed their patriarch would one day be mayor of this quaint little city. “I never had any intention of running for any political office—that was probably furthest from my mind,” he recalls. “But what we did decide is that if we were going to raise our children in this community, we were going to get involved.” Joanne remembers exactly how their simple desire for community involvement turned into more than just joining the HOA or PTA. “We had been married about 12 years when we moved to Southlake, and in all that time, the idea of him in city government had never even crossed our minds,” she says. “Actually, when we decided to get involved, it still wasn’t on our minds. [John] just read an article in the local newspaper saying they were starting up the Leadership
Safety has been top of mind for the city’s citizens for years— so no wonder it was top priority during Terrell’s tenure as mayor. From following through with Southlake’s master plan to building new DPS facilities, he has led many projects aimed at ensuring the city provides a safe environment for its residents. “Something that has set Southlake apart from other communities from the very beginning was the development of a long-term master plan,” Terrell says. “And one of the basic principles at the top of the master plan list is safety.” Terrell was instrumental in setting up the Crime Control Protection District (CCPD) tax that paid for the new DPS facilities, which he says “represent not only architecturally award-winning, state-of-the-art public-safety facilities providing top notch service to our community, but also further exemplify this city’s ability to work together to accomplish great things.”
Phase I of Southlake Town Square opens
1999—2004
2013
Safety
Encouraged to run for City Council by his peers, John is elected to Place 3.